Photo ID's please

eclecticmeSeptember 4, 2011

Im here to ask for your help again. Can you please tell me if these are weeds are perennials. I suspect they are all weeds but I thought I would ask just to make sure. Im almost embarassed to show photos of my overgrown yard....

Thanks in advance!

ID #1

This is about 4 feet high and 4 feet wide. It has been in my very negelected yard for 5 years at least. Im not sure if it blooms.

Another photo of the same plant close-up

ID #2

I cut this down. It grew to about 6 feet tall and seems to be very hardy. It has woody stems that are about 1-2 inches diameter. Is this some type of tree weed? If so, how do I get rid of it?

Another view of the same plant:

ID #3

Lastly I have this. It is also hardy, with stems that are woody and about 1-2 inches in diameter. I before I cut it down it was about 6 feet tall.

Can't help you with #3 but I think #1 is peony. I went out and looked at the leaves on mine and they're a lot like the ones in the picture.

#2 looks like oriental bittersweet, an extremely invasive vine where I am. Google it to see if it's on your area's noxious/invasive list. Does it produce orange berries? If yes, that's oriental bittersweet vine. I've about gotten rid of it here but it grows throughout the state, birds eat the berries and drop the seeds everywhere.

I have a peony that's on year 3 of not blooming. Since all my others bloom I can only guess why this one plant doesn't flower so I will move it this fall to a new location and see what happens in May/June next year. Peonies do want full sun so if the tree is shading yours too much, that could be one reason it doesn't bloom. They also won't bloom if they're planted even an inch too deep. I don't have any walnut trees so can't speak to the close proximity issue.

As for the bittersweet, dig/yank it out or pour vinegar on it to kill it. I'm not an expert on whether it needs another vine in the vicinity to produce berries but it's invasive nonetheless, berries or not. If you go the vinegar route, be sure to get the vinegar on the leaves which will shut down photosynthesis and deprive the vine of nutrients it needs to grow. Be careful with the vinegar around other plants--it will kill whatever it touches. I've actually used a small paint brush to apply it to the leaves of certain weeds.

I'm also pretty sure #l is a peony. There was one in the
old farmhouse yard we moved into in 1977. It didn't bloom for about 20 years. I took it to our Meeting House (church) as a contribution to our Japanese Peace garden. and it has been there about 6 years now with beautiful dark pink blooms with very fine thready centers. It's now in a south facing bed with 6 hours + of sun. The plant is also much bigger than it was. Chris

I think I see on faded bloom on the peony. My husband says that he remembers it blooming 5 years ago when we bought our house, but he's not a relieable source :) I think I will follow your lead, grandmachris, and plant it in a full sun location. What time of year do you transplant it?

This might really show my ignorance,but here goes...Could ID #2 be a tree of heaven?

1 ... rose of sharon above a peony .... peony need full blistering sun ... and i suspect.. years go it was in full sun .... and now it is in too much shade ... probably needs to be moved .... you can just tell.. its thin .. rather than a nice clump ...